The Friends of ESAB invite you to our Pop-up Greek Café on Saturday 8th September. Tickets will be £12.50 and will include lunch and wine.
Call 01323 833942 for ticket information
Head Office 01323 832252 info@eastsussexblind.org
Letter from the Chief Executive
Over the last few months we have been working hard with our colleagues at East Sussex Hospitals Trust and 4Sight in West Sussex to try and do something about the closure of the Low Vision Clinic in Brighton. We were horrified that the Clinical Commissioning Group decided to shut this essential service with no consultation or proper impact assessment. Rest assured we are doing all we can to get this decision reversed. In the meantime, if you have been affected by this closure could you please let me know as we are mounting a campaign with our local MP’s and I need your input.
On a brighter note, by the time you read this newsletter, Keith Dickman (pictured above) will have done his Spin Cycle ride to raise funds for us. All of us are getting roped in (even me) to cycle around all our social groups (over 200 miles) on a static bicycle at Freedom Leisure in Hailsham and hope to raise lots of money. Thanks for the wild and whacky idea Keith.
Many congratulations to the Sound Tennis players who held an amazing tournament over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd June at Virgin Active, it was amazing to see such excellent tennis and so many people from all over the country (and beyond) taking part.
Finally, could I say a big thank you to all of you who gave us an annual donation, so far, we have raised £5110. In particular, thank you if you signed up a standing order, this gives us a continued income and we’re very grateful for it. I hope you’re all having a lovely summer.
Notice of the
ESAB AGM
We will be holding our AGM on
Tuesday 23rd October 2018 at 2.00pm
Venue: Diplocks Hall, The Diplocks, Hailsham BN27 3JY
This is your opportunity to come along and see what’s been going on with ESAB. All our members, supporters and Volunteers are welcome to attend.
Tea and coffee along with biscuits too!
I’m afraid we aren’t able to provide transport
We will also be drawing the ESAB Grand Raffle that day and I would ask you all to please consider selling some of the tickets for us. The first Prize will be £250 and we always have a great selection of other prizes too. Last year the Grand raffle raised £3600 for us and that’s all thanks to those of you who kindly and generously sold tickets. We have included some tickets with this bulletin along with a return envelope. Please get the stubs back to us at HQ by the 20th October at the latest.
Our thanks to Knill James for their donation
towards the first prize
Information And Focus Days September 2018
During September, ESAB are working in conjunction with Sight and Sound and we are going to be putting on 3 Information and Focus Days. They are going to be held in Hailsham, Uckfield and Brighton. Hopefully, this will give people from around the County a chance to attend at least one of the events.
We are going to have other exhibitors attending, so that there is a good spread of things to look at and plenty of information.
Hailsham
4th September
Community Hall, 9-20 Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.
10.00am to 2.00pm.
Attending: Sight and Sound. ESAB. Synapptic. British Wireless for the Blind. Cobolt. Macular Society. RNIB, ECLO. Blatchington Court Trust. ESCC Sight Impairment Team.
Uckfield
18th September
Weald Hall, Civic Centre, Bellfarm Lane, Uckfield, TN22 1AE.
10.00am to 2.00pm.
Attending: Sight and Sound. ESAB. Wealden Talking News.
Macular Society. RNIB. Blatchington Court Trust.
Sight Impairment Team.
Brighton
20th September
Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD.
10.00am to 2.00pm.
Attending: Sight and Sound. ESAB. Synapptic. Sound Tennis. ESAB VIAble. RNIB. Blatchington Court Trust.
There may be other exhibitors in attendance that had not confirmed at the time of this going to publication.
A message to the Friends from Daniel Brookbank CEO
In 2011, when I arrived at ESAB, I was approached by Shirley Price to form a friends of ESAB. I’d just like you all to know what an amazing job the friends committee are doing and to thank them on behalf of our members. I am sure you will join me in that thanks when I tell you that since the Friends started in 2012 they have raised over £130,000 for us. Every penny they raise goes towards the services we provide and they work tirelessly to ensure they get as much money as possible from the events they put on.
ESAB depends on a large amount of money coming from donations, events and legacies and the money the Friends raise is no small amount.
They continue to put on a host of excellent, lucrative events and are well on their way to hitting their target for this year.
Please join me in thanking them for all their very hard work.
Friends of ESAB Calendar of events for 2018
Friday 24th August -Strawberry Tea in Bexhill
Joyce Wood will be hosting a delicious Strawberry tea, tickets £5
Saturday 8th September – Pop-Up Greek Café
We are opening a pop-up Greek cafe at St Augustine’s Church Hall, Bexhill, after the great success of our previous
French and Italian Pop-Up Cafes!
Saturday 17th November – Pasadena Roof Orchestra Hot Five
By popular request, the return of the Pasadena Roof Orchestra Hot Five, to be held at St Augustine’s Church, Bexhill.
Saturday 15th December – Tombola
To be held at Langney Shopping Centre.
For further information or to buy tickets for any of these events please get in touch with Shirley Price on 01323 833942 or Shirley@shirleyprice.me.uk
Sound Tennis Sussex hosted their first regional Visually Impaired Tennis Tournament on 2-3 June 2018 at Virgin Active in Falmer.
The Tournament is part of a series hosted around the UK leading up to national championships at Loughborough in October.
We were pleased to welcome 34 players from around the country including 4 players who had been victorious at the world championships in Dublin in April.
The turnout also included 9 players from the North East whose commitment included a 10 hour mini bus trip each way which saw them arriving home at 4 am the following morning! The spread of the sport was also shown with a player coming from Germany.
Players competed in singles and doubles competitions by sight classifications based on sight levels with 10 totally blind (B1) players, the standard continues to rise and it was great to welcome a number of players to their first ever tournaments.
Sussex players achieved a number of successes. World Champion Chris Baily from Uckfield winning the doubles with Callum Lock from Eastbourne and becoming runner up to his arch rival Paul Ryb from London (a fellow World Champion) in the B3 singles.
Christopher Smith from Eastbourne competing in his first competition had notable success as runner up in the B2 singles, Christine Laurence from Hove in the B3 ladies singles and Keith Turner from Brighton in the B1 mixed doubles with Monica Smith from London were also runners up.
We were delighted that ESAB Patron Peter Field and his wife Margaret were able to join us for part of the event with Peter handing out a number of the awards alongside Adam Field who organises disability tennis for the Tennis Club in Hassocks as well as regularly supporting our coaching sessions
It was good also to have Cyril Thomas from Brighton competing as a B2 in his first competition
Organising a competition on this scale is quite an undertaking and great credit goes to all the organising team and the best part of 30 volunteers whose help on and off court was fantastic, we were also privileged to have officials provided by the Tennis Foundation whose professionalism and generosity was very much appreciated
The staff at Virgin Active were also great and supported the event with warmth and efficiency
The VI Tournament circuit now moves on to Cambridge at the end of July and we are starting to think about next year. It was a brilliant event played in a very friendly and competitive manner, as organiser I learnt a lot as not everything worked perfectly but it was a real privilege and one I will remember for a long time.
We are always keen to welcome new Visually Impaired Players, if you are interested or know of anyone who might be please contact us at soundtennissussex@gmail.com or visit our website www.soundtennissussex.org.uk
It might surprise you how much ESAB has to offer
Specifically for East Sussex
Low Vision Support Worker
Full time worker providing at home support and visiting 695 members per year
Mobility and Orientation training. Confidence building and practical help. 150 members per year.
Certificates of visual impairment, we handle 250 of these a year.
Aids and Equipment service. 1400 interactions per year.
Skills and strategies for daily living courses, 295 members trained per year
IT skills courses, smart phones and tablets.
In Brighton
Full time Co-ordinator
Aids and Equipment Centres in Hailsham and Brighton
Volunteer visiting scheme with 50 volunteers
Six social groups
Central services from ESAB
17 Social Groups. Including:
ESAB Theatre Group —Hailsham
Bowls club—Hailsham
ESAB VIABLE and
Sound Tennis Sussex
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Outreach Vehicle (OV)
ESAB telephone helpline
Volunteer visiting scheme
Advocacy help for members
Lobbying local and central government
Working with local planners
Three times a year membership Newsletter
Drop in (by appointment) for Aids and Equipment
Friends of ESAB
Annual well-being call to all members
Please take a moment to read this information about the new Data Protection rules
The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on the 25th May 2018, here’s a quick update for you all to remind you how we might use your data.
We keep your information for a variety of reasons, if you are a member of ESAB then we might use it to refer you onto other services that you could benefit from. We may pass your details onto a social group that you are interested in joining or we may use your information to contact you directly.
If you are a volunteer we may use your information to contact you about other volunteering opportunities or to ask you to assist us at Head Office.
The most important aspect with regard to your data is that we may, from time to time, contact you about fundraising initiatives and ask you to consider making a contribution. As a general rule we only do this via our regular newsletters, for example, the request for an annual donation or to ask you to sell raffle tickets for us.
What I would like to make very clear is that we will never pass your information onto any third party, firstly without your express consent and secondly if the third party is not directly associated with the services we offer. In other words, we will never give out your data without very good reason and without you knowing. We will never sell your data, for any reason or any amount of money.
You have the right to access any personal information we hold on you and you have the right to alter it or to have it erased.
Over the next few months we will be contacting you all to update our records and make sure you are happy that we continue to contact you. Many of you will have filled in our form with the last bulletin or replied to the email sent out recently.
A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available at ESAB HQ
If you would like to speak to me personally about it please give me a ring at Head Office.
Daniel Brookbank Chief Executive
01323 832252 daniel@eastsussexblind.org
There’s so much going on at your local ESAB Social Group
A full list of the social groups can be found on the back of this newsletter.
Where do we begin? We’ve gone from the coldest March, to the wettest April, to the warmest May all in the same year, but this hasn’t deterred our social groups from getting out and about for pub lunches, cream teas, trips to farm shops and even ten pin bowling and croquet, just to name but a few activities.
When members at the social groups are asked what they enjoy most about attending the group, top of the list without exception is they all say how much they look forward to seeing their friends, and one particularly lovely comment we heard recently was ‘They’re such a lovely bunch, where would I be without them’.
Tea and cake often comes a close second though, and over in Lewes they have been having a midsummer afternoon fundraising cream tea with a raffle, cake stall and a name the teddy tombola, all with musical accompaniment on the piano.
Meanwhile in Brighton, VitalEyes have been keeping fit with chair based exercises. Although you might be sitting down don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy because it’s not, it also helps with concentration and you might well discover muscles in places you never knew you had them. You are always guaranteed a good night’s sleep afterwards though.
Keep up the good work everybody and have a good summer.
They say that variety is the spice of life, and here at ESAB we are fortunate to have so many different roles where our volunteers do so much to help our members combat isolation and loneliness throughout the county, including head office volunteers, social group organisers, helpers and drivers, Outreach Vehicle drivers, and of course home visiting volunteers.
Our Home Visiting befriending volunteer service is now more popular than ever as the word spreads, and our Home Visitors have been providing all kinds of support lately right across East Sussex from Brighton to Rye.
As well as short trips out and about together, or simply having a chat over a cup of tea, we’ve even got home visiting volunteers providing support with various activities such as swimming and horse riding. But we’ve also had other requests though, such as I’d like to go carp fishing, or I’d really like to go for a Fry-Up which I just can’t do for myself any more.
We know people are working longer, retiring later, with increased caring responsibilities, but if any readers know of anyone who might be interested in volunteering, please let us know here at head office.
All new volunteers receive vision awareness training, and if any existing volunteers or social groups would like a vision awareness training refresher, please do get in touch and we’ll get something arranged for you.
For further information on Volunteering for ESAB please contact Ian at HQ on 01323 832252 or ian@eastsussexblind.org
Outreach Vehicle
Let us know if there’s somewhere you think the OV should be going! Just call the office and ask for Ian 01323 832252
The Outreach Vehicle continues to visit a range of public venues and local community groups across the county.
Last year we met a grand total of 468 people over 32 Outreach Vehicle visits.
Over the coming year we hope to be at a variety of events and happenings across the county.
ESAB members are always welcome to take part in Outreach Vehicle visits and help us raise awareness of sight loss. Just phone our head office for more information about how to get involved
ESAB-VIABLE – Activities diary
1st August (Wednesday) – 1pm – Croquet, Hove Bowls Club, Hove Lawns (optional meet 12.30 M&S Churchill Square) then bus to:
1st August (Wednesday)– 3pm – Tea at Garden Café, St Anne’s Wells Gardens
4th August (Saturday)– 2-4pm – VI Sports, King Alfred’s Leisure Centre
5th August (Sunday) – Devils Dyke Lunch – meet 11am for bus at M&S Churchill Square. Lunch at Devil’s Dyke Hotel, bus or walk options for return. Sunday roast approx £12. NB: CHANGE OF DATE. So that we can reserve tables, please book by 20th July.
12th August – BBS “Have A Go Day” – contact us for more details.
15th August (Wednesday) – 1pm – Croquet, Hove Bowls Club, Hove Lawns (optional meet 12.30 M&S Churchill Square).
18th August (Saturday)– 2-4pm – VI Sports, King Alfred’s Leisure Centre
18th August (Saturday)– 5pm ‘til Late– Picnic, Hove Beach (from King Alfred’s bus stop, walk towards Hove Lagoon, turn first left into Hove Street South, walk towards the beach and you will see us there). Bring food and drink.
29th August (Wednesday) – 1pm – Croquet, Hove Bowls Club, Hove Lawns (optional meet 12.30 M&S Churchill Square).
1st September (Saturday)– 2-4pm – VI Sports, King Alfred’s Leisure Centre
5th September (Wednesday) 3pm – Tea at Jojo’s Icecream Parlour. (Repeat visit because Sue can’t make the July visit!).
20th September (Thursday)– 10am-2pm – We have a stall at the Sight & Sound Technology Exhibition at the Brighthelm Centre.
Or further information on ESAB VIABLE please contact Chris Dutton, email esabviable@gmail.com
As a member of ESAB you are welcome to attend your local social group. They provide talks, afternoon teas, trips out and a host of enjoyable social activities. Here are their meeting times:
- Bexhill 1st Friday
- Crowborough 3rd Friday
- Herstmonceux 3rd Wednesday
- VitalEYES (Brighton and Hove) 1st Friday
- Lewes 2nd Monday
- Polegate 4th Tuesday
- SocialEYES (Brighton and Hove) 3rd Friday
- Seaford 1st Thursday
- Saltdean & Peacehaven 4th Monday
- Tuesday Club 2nd Tuesday (In the evening)
- Uckfield 1st Wednesday
Brighton VIP’s 4th Thursday
Brighton Deaf/Blind Group 1st Wednesday
Theatre Group
Bowls Group
ESAB VIABLE
Sound Tennis Sussex
For further information on any of the social groups please contact HQ.
East Sussex Association of Blind and Partially Sighted People
Prospects House, 7-9 George Street, Hailsham, BN27 1AD
Telephone 01323 832252 – Fax 01323 833054
Email: info@eastsussexblind.org
Website: www.eastsussexblind.org
Charity Registration number 209535
Company Registration number 363004
Please don’t forget to contact us so we can update your data choices before the 25th May 2018.